Method of mixing concrete and the like.



L. H. BICHELBERGEE METHOD 0? MIXING CONCRETE AND THE LIKE.

' nruoumn 11,111) nu 21,1913] 1,097,084.

Patented May 19, 1914.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Lewis m maximum, or murmurs, MARYLAND.

METHOD MIXING CONCRETE AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it my concern:

Be itknown that I, LEWIS HAY EICHEL- BERGER, a citizen of the United States, reside ingin the city of Baltimore, State of Mary sure which are so controlled and directed land, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Mixin Concrete and the like; and I do hereby eclarc the following to' be a full, clear, and exact description of the/invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to the mixing of concrete and similar materials and has for its object to provide a novel method for effecting the thorough admixture of the ingredients in the shortest possible time and with a minimum expenditure of power and a practically negligible amount of'wear and tear on the apparatus involved. To these ends, the invention contemplates-the feedingof the constituents of the mixture, in properly measured quantities, .and preferablyin a dry state, to a receptacle and subjecting the mass of t action of multiple jets of fluid under preswith respect to the mass as to produce and maintai a vortical whirling movement of said mass, so that all of the individual par; ticles of the mass are thoroughly commingl'ed. Preferably the fluid jets consist of air under pressure in which is entrained suflicient moisture for the given mass of ma-' terials to be mixed,'and said moisture-laden air jets are delivered into the receptacle containing the mass to be mixed by'means of jettingnozzles, which may be conveniently located in successive circumferential rows 'in the walls-of thereceptacle, with the discharge orifices of said nozzles so disposed as to direct the fluid. jets in the samegeneral direction, substantially parallel withthowalls of the container and generally tangential to the path of movement of the material to be mixed. I

A simple form of apparatus for carrying out the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a cross section'or elevation of the complete apparatus. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2- of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a section of the container llustrating one of the adjustable jcr nozzles.

Referring: tn-the drawings, 1 iudicatesna receptacle or container, preferably made of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 21, 1918. Serial No. 769,029.

ingredients to the Patented May metal, the main cylindrical body portion of which is provided with a conical or tapered lower section 1 having a central discharge -.outlet, closed by a hinged door 5, which may be of any convenient form, and which may be locked in place by a suitable catch as 5. The closure 5 is preferably mounted upon a reinforcing flange 4 which is secured to the container about the discharge outlet. The upper or 'top portion of theconta-iner 1 has secured centrally thereto, by means of flanged ring 12,. a conical feed-hopper 2, the discharge end of which isclosed by a conical valve or gate 3, seatin against the inner. peripheral face of the anged ring12, said valve or gate 3 being-operated by means of a handle 10 pivoted at 11 to the edge of the hopper and connected to the gate 3 by link 9. The said hopperand its associated gate 3 afford a simple and .efi'ective means. ior

measuring and feeding the constituents of her 1, as will be understood.

Disposed in circumferential rows in the walls .of the mixing chamber 2 is a; series of plugs 6, provided with circumferential screw threads engaging corresponding tapped openings in the walls of said con,- tainer. Each of said plugs is provided with a jet opening or passage 6' which. is axially disposed in the outer 'end of said the concrete or the like to-the mixing champlug and is inclined or bent at its discharge .end so as to direct a jet of fluid supplied to the passage substantially parallel with the. inner wall of the container or mixing chamber. Each of the plugs 6' is provided at its outer end with a fluid supply pipe 8, which in turn is connected withan annula manifold 7 which surrounds the mixing 14 and 15 with asuitable supply of air 9'5 chamber 1 and is in turn connected by pipes under pressure, said pipe 15 being provided, 1

with a valve 22 to regulate and control the air pressure. As indicated, the several jets plugs 6 are adjustable in the side walls of.

the mixing chamber so that the jets delivered by thepassages 6-' may-all be ad justed in the same general direction relative to the walls of the mixing chamber or container.

I In mixing ordinary concrete, consisting of broken stone, sand and cement, a satisfactory adjustment of the jet nozzles is that indicated in the drawings, in which the fluid pressure jets from the nozzles are delivered in a direction generally tangential to the loo clination of the jet orifices 6f inner wall of the container and with an in; clination in adownward direction. 13 ad justing the individual plugs 6 circum erentially, it is obvious that the degree of in- Ina be nicely regulated to roduce the most e ective and economical disposition of the jets in respect of the material to'be mixed. It will be noted, however, that whatever the vertical inclination of the individual jets is, the gen- 15 in the mixing chamber.

. operation.

water supply pipe 19 provided witha shutmixture with a 4'0 tom of the hopper,

ofi valve 20. A suitable gage 21 is connected with said tank to measure and indicate the necessary quantity of water to be admitted to said tank to effect proper adgiven batch of concrete in the mixing chamber. 7

In carrying out the improved method of mixing concrete, with an apparatus of the character described, the dry materials to be 85, mixed are dumped into the hopper 2, which,

as indicated, may efl ectively serve as a measure for the individual ingredients, and are- ,then delivered into the mixing chamber 1 by opening the gate or valve 3 in the hotby means of handle 10. After the ingredients for the desired batch of concrete or similar mixture have been de- 'livered from the hopper 2 into the mixing chamber 1, the valve 3 is preferably closed.

The lower discharge gate 5 of the mixing chamber is normally closed. Therequisite quantity of water for admixture with the given quantity of concrete material is then admitted to tank 18 5 cut off as soon as the the water supply being gage 21 indicates that the proper mitted to saidltank. This water supply oc cupies the tank 18 and pipes 15 and- 14, ahead of the cut-off valve 22. 'Thereafter air,

5 under pressure is" admitted by openingf'y'alve thence into the 22 and permitting the'air to pass suitable reservoir, by way of pipes '15-, 14,

circular manifold 17, individual supply. pipesS to the jet'nozzles or plugs 6 and" mixing, chamber The air v, under pressure passing along pipes 15 and i 14 entrains the water therein and carries or forces the same with it out of the jet' nozzles Sand into the mass of material in the mixing chamber. The continued flow of air unintimately admixed. While the air amount of water has been ad;

der pressure through the pipes 14 and 15 takes with it all of the body of water from the tank 18 and injects the same into the mass of concrete material. The effect of this operation is the injection into the mass of material contained in the mixing chamber a multiplicity of powerful jets of compressed air heavily laden with moisture, the ets being so directed into the mass as to produce and maintain a vertical whirling movement of the entire mass, so'that the materials are ets alone would be eliective for producin the rotary mixing action of the mass, it is ound that by loading the air with moisture, the swirling action is more quickly the mass, and moreover, the water is more evenly distributed tothe materials. By directing the ets of moisture-laden air under pressure in a generally downward direction, as well as generally tangential to the inner walls of the mixing chamber, the whole body of the concrete materials is subjected to the centrifugal or vortical larger materials in the form of broken stone are caused to move about in the mass of the finer materials, such as cement, sand and water, and become thoroughly coated and impregnated therewith, while the finer materials forming the coating and binding agents for the broken stone are themselves intimately admixed. The mixing operation is effected rapidly and is most thorough.

The whirling and agitating movement is taken up by the entire mass of materials and while subjected to the vortical whirling movement the materials are practically sup ported by the fluid jets so that the-moving material does not come in contact with the walls of themixing chamber and the latter heavy wear which is i are not subjected to the incident to the use of ordinary tumbling drums and the like for mixing concrete. After the material has been thoroughly admixed, the discharge gate 5 is opened and the accumulated pneumatic pressure in the mixing chamber will suffice to force the mixture out of the said mixing chamber and into the carts, receptacles, or conveyers designed to receive the mixture.

Itwill be noted thatthe foregoing operation may be dients entering into the mixture, that the mixing-may, be efiected with greater thoroughness and celerity than is possible with' other forms of mechanical mixers-and that carri'ed'out with absolute .certainty as to the proportions of the ingreproduced in I whirl so that the i thetendency of the apparatus to wear by abrasion, or become clogged with adhering ma'terial is practically eliminated.

\Vhilethe direction of the fluid pressure jets has been defined as substantially paral lel to the interior: walls of the mixing chainher, it will be understood that this is only 1 an approximate definition and the expresiso- - non is intended to cover any direction appliedto the jets, by the nozzles, which will be effective to set up a vortical whirling movement of the mass of materials to be mixed.

What I claim is g 1. The method of mixing concrete andthe like, which consists in feeding the constituents of the mixture to a container and sub- 10 jecting the resultant mass to the action of multiple fluid. jets so directed into the container as to produce and maintain a vortical whirling movement of the mass.

2. The method of mixi concrete and the like, which consists in fee mg the constitucuts of the mixture to a container and subjecting the resultant mass to the action of jets of moisture-laden air so directed into the container as to produce and maintain Y a vortical whirling movement of the mass. 3. The method of mixing concrete and the like, which consists in feeding the constituents of the mixture to a container, entraining water sufficient for the mixture in a body of air under pressure, and directing the air under pressure and the entrained water into the mass in the form of multiple fluid jets so directed as to produce and maintain a vortical whirling movement of the mass.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in resence of two witnesses.

L WIS HAY EICHELBERGER. \Vitnesses: Jorm W. HEWES,

WM. F. MULCAHY. 

